Chinese port cities record surge in economic output for 2025

Tianjin (ANTARA) - Chinese port cities recorded a port economic value added of 7 trillion yuan (1 yuan = Rp2,641) in 2025, according to a report released by an institute under the auspices of China’s Ministry of Transport on Tuesday (2/6).

The report, prepared by the ministry’s planning and research institute, provides a comprehensive evaluation of economic activities related to ports across various major coastal and inland river port cities in China.

The report was released during an international shipping industry exhibition that opened on the same day in Tianjin, a major coastal city in northern China.

Port economy refers to the entirety of economic activities centred around ports, which rely on and utilise specific industries related to port activities. The port economy accounted for 13.6 per cent of the total economic output of China’s major port cities.

During the same period, the economic value added of ports in China’s inland river cities reached 2.7 trillion yuan, contributing 9.7 per cent of their total economic output.

Strategic emerging industries in China’s inland river port cities experienced rapid growth in 2025, led by the chemical manufacturing, electronic equipment production, and automotive manufacturing sectors. These industries contributed 19.7 per cent of the port-related economic output within the secondary industrial sector, effectively driving industrial transformation and upgrading in inland regions.

“In the future, China will make high-quality development the core of the port economy. Various efforts will continue to deepen the integration of development between ports, industries, and urban areas, as well as advancing the development of smart and eco-friendly ports driven by technological innovation,” said Liu Xin, president of the Transport Planning and Research Institute of China’s Ministry of Transport.